A criminal investigation has been launched in the Vyborgsky district of the Leningrad region after a 15-year-old angler reeled in a bag containing a PPSh submachine gun, knives, and ammunition. Authorities are currently searching for the individual responsible for discarding the illegal weapons.

The incident occurred on June 5th in the village of Pervomayskoye, when the teenager, instead of catching fish, hauled up a suspicious bag. Inside, he discovered what appeared to be a weapon and promptly contacted the police.

Upon inspection, law enforcement confirmed the teenager’s suspicions. The bag contained three bayonet knives, sixty rounds of ammunition, and a Shpagin submachine gun, a weapon historically significant for its role in World War II.

Following a thorough examination, experts determined that the submachine gun was functional. Consequently, a criminal case was initiated, and the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region is actively working to identify the owner of the discovered weapons.